Facing Problems
The Samsung Gear S, which was released late last year, is a cutting-edge smart watch. However, an increasing number of users are saying that there is much room for improvement, so the product is widely acknowledged to be still an early stage.
That is the reason why the Apple Watch, which is scheduled to be launched in March, poses a threat to the Korean tech giant, although the company was expected to dominate the global smart watch market with an early start.
As of Feb. 11, a growing number of users are complaining via online communities that the Gear S has many problems. They are also saying that the smart watch is not easy to use.
The most-frequently raised issue is its closed platform. The wearable device is based on the Tizen operating system. Unlike other models, separate payment systems and contact numbers are required due to Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) inside. The Gear S is different from other models in that it enables people to send and receive calls or text messages without a smartphones. But despite openness and independence being touted as key words for the model, many in the industry point out that the device is actually closed and dependent.
For example, the smart watch cannot fully function alone. It needs to sync with a Galaxy phone. The Gear S can only be tethered to the latest phone models like the Galaxy Note 4 or the Galaxy Note Edge. It is impossible to download apps without syncing with these devices. Hence, people are writing posts about ways to connect to the smart watch by registering a root-enabled device as a Samsung phone instead.
On top of that, there are problems related to content. Currently, it is possible to download many apps that can be used in the Gear S. However, it is impossible to use messaging apps like KakaoTalk or Line. Therefore, the only thing the smart watch can do is to notify its user of messages that cannot be answered without accessing the linked Galaxy phone.
Other small problems that plague users are the watch's inability to communicate with tablets, and its low battery life that forces users to carry around a separate charger for their watches.
Industry analysts are saying that the success or failure of Samsung in the smart watch market will depend on to what extent the next smart watch models will be improved.